“It’s a move that would have made perfect sense a decade ago; it will be interesting to see if it pays off now.” Mike Steinberger comments on Château Figeac’s decision to hire Michel Rolland as a consultant.

Jancis Robinson sits down with CBS News to talk about American Wine, and praises wines from New York, Michigan, New Mexico, and Virginia!

In the Washington Post, Dave McIntyre writes about Jim Barrett and Mike Grgich, two “men whose collaboration during the rough-and-tumble early years of California’s modern wine renaissance helped establish the Golden State’s reputation for making world-class wine.”

“Wine greatness is a two-way street. It’s not enough for a producer to find an exceptional site, craft a lovely wine and then get it to us. Someone also has to appreciate it at the other end. That’s us.” In his latest column, Matt Kramer writes about effort — and why that’s the key component to wine appreciation.